Hist 100World Civilization I

Instructor: Dr. Donald R. Shaffer

Upper Iowa University

Lecture 6Rome: Introduction

Rome: the empire to which all of other empires and governments are compared

So what made Rome great? Not the extent of the empire—

others before had done that The success of the Romans

was in incorporating conquered peoples into the Roman system

Much more than the Hellenistic Greeks they were able to transplant their language, religion, and customs to conquered peoples

Their influence survives them to the present day

Roman Empire at its zenith inthe 2nd Century CE

Lecture 6Rome: Origins

Rome as a conqueror was blessed by geography Its position halfway up the Italian

peninsula put it in a good position to dominate Italy

Italy was well situated to dominate the Mediterranean

Actual Roman origins shrouded in myth Archeological evidence suggests

the Romans heavily influenced by Greeks and the mysterious Etruscans

Romans apparently a subject people of the Etruscans who broke free, but not all scholars agree on this idea

Etruscan territoryand artifacts

Lecture 6Roman Republic (509-45 BCE)

Documentable Roman history begins about 509 BCE with the rise of the republic

This period notable for its gradual codification of law and the law’s growing fairness Demonstrated the Roman

interest in practical government Divisions of Roman society

Patricians: wealthy, land-owning class that dominated the Senate and Consulship

Plebians: ordinary folk, who during the Republic forced the patricians to increasing share power Tribunes

RomanPatricians

RomanPlebians

Lecture 6Roman Conquests (1) The later centuries of the

republic saw the spread of Roman rule beyond Italy

The Romans do not seem to have deliberately set out to conquer an empire, at least not at first Instead, the conquests initially

came through wars with rival states in the Mediterranean, particularly Carthage

Carthage A wealthy and powerful

Phoenician city-state on the coast of North Africa

Became Rome’s main rival for dominance in the Mediterranean world

Based its military power on its large navy

CarthaginianEmpire and itsmilitary genius

Hannibal

Lecture 6Roman Conquests (2) The Punic Wars

Rome’s wars with Carthage for dominance 1st Punic War began in 264 BCE,

last ended in 146 BCE Since Rome dominated on land,

and Carthage at sea, who triumphed eventually boiled down to who could beat the other at what was good at.

After nearly losing the 2nd Punic War to Hannibal’s land campaign, Rome built a navy that defeated Carthage in the 3rd Punic War

Carthaginian Empire wiped out and its territories incorporated into Roman domains

Successful Roman conquerorsgiven the honor of a “triumph” or

victory parade through Rome

Lecture 6Decline of the Roman Republic (1) Republican government proved

unsuitable for ruling an empire made up of foreign peoples

The wars also created military leaders too mighty for the Roman state to control

The large army weakened the Roman agricultural economy

Agriculture production dropped It became easier for ambitious men

to squeeze out small-holders in rural areas and amass large estates using slave labor

Dispossessed often moved to Rome, where there was not enough employment

Situation ripe for strongmen who could feed and entertain the idle Roman mob “Bread and Circuses”

Part of providing bread andcircuses was arranging

gladiatorial battles

Lecture 6Decline of the Roman Republic (2) Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE)

Rose to power as a politician and general Conqueror of Gaul (France)

Pragmatic, ruthless politician Formed the First Triumvirate with

Pompey and Crassus, abandoned it when it was no longer useful to his ambition

He engaged in useful reforms His undoing was to make himself a

dictator Assassinated in 44 BCE

Augustus Caesar (44 BCE-10 CE) Julius Caesar’s grandnephew,

adopted as his heir Initially forced to share power with

Lepidus and Marc Anthony Later emerges as “princeps civitatis”

and later “imperator,” ushers in the Pax Romana

AugustusCaesar

(Octavian)

JuliusCaesar

Lecture 6Roman Society (1) Rome: city of contrasts

Population: about 1 million at its peak in ancient times

State palaces and lavish residences for the elite, but average Roman resident lived in squalor

Government forced to feed unemployed with imported grain paid for by tribute levied on conquered peoples—”tithe”

Family Basic unit of Roman society Headed by “paterfamilias”

Oldest male in the extended family Women held no formal power, but

sometimes influential behind the scenes Ideal Roman matron was faithful,

chaste, modest, and single-mindedly dedicated to her family

Like all humans, the Roman family did not always live up to its ideals

Lecture 6Roman Society (2) Roman slavery

Slaves generated by Rome’s foreign conquests

Came from Europe, Africa, and the Hellenistic East Quite diverse in their backgrounds

Slavery hereditary, but slaves often freed

Slavery a fact of life for the Romans, as all ancient people

Roman religion Romans Gods closely paralleled

Greek deities Worship of these gods became a

form of civic religion Helps explain the deification of Roman

emperors, starting with Caesar Augustus

Helps explain the persecution of groups like the Christians who refused to worship Roman Gods

The need for religion with more excitement explains the appeal of Eastern mystery religions

Roman slavestend their

owner

Roman depiction ofApollo, 6th century BCE

Lecture 6Christianity (1) Christianity emerges from the

teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Scholars know little of him outside of

the Gospels, written decades after his death, whose provenance and authorship remains uncertain

Jesus’ Palestine Much more is known of the Palestine

of Jesus’ time A province of Rome since 65 BCE At time of Jesus’ birth ruled through a

Roman client king, Herod the Great After Herod’s death, the Jews

revolted, prompting the Romans to send a governor to rule the province

Jews heavily factionalized Sadducees Pharisees Zealots

Images of Jesus of NazarethFrom the 6th and 7th centuries CE

Lecture 6Christianity (2) Paul (Saul) of Tarsus

Christianity might have died but for the efforts of Paul of Tarsus

Paul initially persecuted the early Christians, but then converted to the religion

As Jewish Roman citizen, he was able to bridge the divide and turn a Jewish sect into a religion for non-Jews Asserted Christians not bound by

Jewish law, especially its dietary restrictions

Also asserted that Christ’s teaching were universal

Pax Romana and Roman roads made possible his evangelical activities

Lecture 6Christianity (3)

Appeal of Christianity Unlike the mystery religions, its

message freely available, not just to initiates, and easily understood

Attractive message: forgiveness for sin, God’s unconditional love, and the promise of eternal life

Christianity and Rome Nero blamed Christians for the fire

that burned Rome in 64 CE, and ordered their persecution

Persecution peaked during the reign of Diocletian (284-305 CE)

Diocletian’s successor, Constantine (306-337 CE) sanctioned Christianity

Christianity made the state religion of Rome in 380 CE

Nero

Diocletian

Constantine

Lecture 6Empire’s Fall in the West

Rome never actually “fell” The center of the empire shifted to

the east, and the Romans, unable to defend the western part of the empire, gradually abandoned it to barbarian invaders

Germanic tribes, pressed by Asiatic invaders, pressed against Roman frontiers in the 4th century and gradually swallowed it up

After Justinian in the mid-500s, the eastern Roman Empire stopped trying to reclaim the west

The eastern part of the empire, being wealthier and more defensible, remained intact gradually becoming the Byzantine Empire (which lasts until 1453)

Justinian: last Romanemperor to try to reclaim

the western part ofthe empire frombarbarian tribes